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Tuesday, February 2, 2010

A Hero for Her Heart - Excerpt

Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. Phillipians 3:13 NIV

Excerpt from A Hero For Her Heart:

“Shannon is right.” Allie interrupted his thoughts. She refolded the check and held it tightly in her hands, then looked Derrick squarely in the eyes. “You are a hero.”Hero? “Could be because you’ve known me less than fifteen minutes.”Danny hopped from one foot to the other. “That was cool, the way you caught Aunt Allie. Where did you learn to do that?”The force of the boy’s enthusiasm was irresistible. Pretending solemnity, Derrick glanced around as if to make sure the coast was clear, then leaned down and whispered, “I learned it in hero school.”Danny’s eyes widened. “Is that where your face got hurt?”“No, but it does make me look more heroic. I graduated at the top of my class.” He straightened and glanced at Allie. “And because I’m a hero, I insist I walk you to wherever you’re going while I carry your tools.”“You don’t need to do that,” she said quickly.“Oh, but I do.” He lifted his eyes to the summer sky and scratched his chin as though he were thinking hard. “See, it’s rule number. . .um. . .twenty-one, I think. ‘After saving a damsel in distress, always see her safely home or to her vehicle, whichever applies.’ ” He crossed his arms. “I scored a perfect hundred on that test. Of course, I stayed up all night cramming. And it’s been a while.”Allie’s lips twitched. “How does one study for a hero test?”Derrick placed his hand on his chest as though making a pledge. “Sorry, I can’t reveal the secrets of a hero. It’s in the rules. Number one, and I quote, ‘No method, secret, rule, or procedure shall be revealed to anyone at any time.’ ” He paused and winked again at Danny. “And number two says, ‘No hero will ever be caught bragging on exploits, whether his own or those of a fellow hero.’ ”The boy’s wide smile brought cheer to his heart, but it was Allie’s grin that made his insides warm. He’d have to be careful. Old flirting habits died hard, and he couldn’t afford the complication of an attraction. He had information to gather, then he’d be gone. Most of all, she could never know why he was here.“All right, Derrick Owens, hero extraordinaire,” Allie said, unaware of his turmoil, “you may walk us to my truck.”

4 comments:

For me, a hero is unassuming, yet kind, helpful, and sees the need. My husband is a hero. He opens doors for women, offers a helping hand and just sees needs and steps in to assist. I love that about him. He never wants attention or accolades. He just want to help.